Are ab exercises safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about ab exercises during pregnancy?

1. A review of guidelines from 12 professional exercise and obstetric societies found that five of them specifically name excessive abdominal exercise as an activity to modify or avoid during pregnancy. 1
2. Exercise in the flat, on-your-back position is generally advised against after the first trimester, and any movement carrying a real risk of falling or abdominal trauma is a category to skip altogether. 2
3. Ten of the twelve professional societies reviewed specifically flag lying on your back after the first trimester as a special consideration, making it one of the most consistently agreed-upon modifications in pregnancy exercise guidance. 1
4. When researchers adapted a yoga program for pregnancy, they excluded poses involving deep twists and extreme abdominal compression as a safety precaution, the same category of movement that heavy ab-focused training can fall into. 3
5. Joint laxity measurably increases in the last trimester of pregnancy, which is one reason exercise form, including how you brace and engage your core, is worth revisiting as pregnancy progresses. 4

Is ab exercises safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Most ab exercises are fine to keep doing early on if they felt comfortable before pregnancy. This is a good trimester to build the habit of exhaling through the hard part of each movement instead of holding your breath.
• Second trimester. Professional exercise guidelines commonly name lying flat on your back as a special consideration starting around now. Swap traditional floor crunches for side-lying or seated core work as this trimester progresses.
• Third trimester. Balance shifts quickly now, and joint laxity is measurably higher in the final trimester. Favor gentle, controlled core work like seated marches or standing bracing over anything with real fall risk or abdominal impact, which general pregnancy exercise guidelines flag as a category to skip.